Straight to the Heart
by pmbb
Summary: The General fakes his death and Sam is shot because of it. COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

Two shots.

There were two shots followed by silence. Then, the screaming started.

Screams of fear and screams for help mixed with the sound of chairs tipping over, orders being given and feet running in all directions. Just moments ago all of Team One, Commander Holleran, the Braddock family and several military officers were gathered in the cemetery listening to Sam as he gave the eulogy at his father's funeral and now, Sam was on the ground behind the podium with two gunshot wounds in his chest. As he quickly lost consciousness, Sam heard his team call out to him but before he could answer back, the pain pulled him into unconsciousness.

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><p><strong>I know it's short and the summary sucks, but PLEASE let me know what you think so far! The next update will be longer and will be up VERY soon! PS, Sam whump stories are my favorite to read, so of course I had to write one too. Enjoy!<strong>


	2. Chapter 2

_Six days earlier..._

**Kandahar**

General Braddock sat behind a large desk at the base reviewing transcripts, maps and flight plans. He had a plan and everything needed to go perfectly; his life was counting on it. As he skimmed over every little detail once again, his second in command, Lieutenant Johnathan Roberts, came into the room, his face a mask of seriousness and concern. "Everyone has been brought up to speed sir. Everything should be ready in two hours time." General Braddock looked up at Lieutenant Roberts and gave him a small nod. "Thank you, Lieutenant. Go and oversee the preparations, will you?" Lieutenant Roberts gave a salute and turned to leave but stopped as he reached the door. "Sir, with all due respect, are you sure you want to do this?"

The General sighed and leaned back in his chair. "I have to do this Lieutenant. You've read the threats and you've seen first hand what these people are capable of. We need to weed them out and the only way to do that is to make them think that they were successful."

"I understand that, sir, but this kind of crazy! You're planning on faking your own death!" Lieutenant Roberts began to pace in front of the General's desk. "You do realize that your 'death' is going to cause a media frenzy; the news won't just stay here in Kandahar, it'll be on every major news station back home."

"I know that, Lieutenant. In fact, I'm counting on it." General Braddock got up from his chair and went around to the front of the desk where Lieutenant Roberts was staring at him. Always the military man, General Braddock stood in parade rest as he addressed the younger officer. "I need this to be as real as it can be. If there is no media coverage, no one will believe it."

"But your family sir, they are going to hear about this. Should we send notification to them that you're not actually dead?"

"NO!" the General shouted, causing the younger Lieutenant to flinch. "My family cannot know. I need their emotions to be genuine in order to sell this whole thing. No one, including my family, can know the truth until this whole charade is over. It's for their safety too. Understood?" Lieutenant Roberts sighed but nodded anyway. "Good. Now, go make sure everything is in order and ready to go." "Yes sir." Lieutenant Roberts gave a salute and left the room. General Braddock turned towards his desk and studied the paperwork one more time. Everything had to be perfect.

Two hours later, General Braddock sat hidden in a Humvee two miles away from the airstrip near base. He was waiting for a sign, something to tell him that his plan had been put into action. As he stared out of the window and watched the sun set over the desert, he thought about his family and silently prayed that they would understand. Minutes later, a bright fireball filled the sky and was soon followed by a crash that reached his ears even miles away. The buzzing in General Braddock's pocket brought him out of his thoughts. He pulled the satellite phone out of his pocket and brought it up to his ear. "Braddock."

"It's done, sir. Phase one is complete."

"Thank you Roberts." General Braddock hung up the phone and looked towards the driver. With one order the Humvee began moving, driving off into the darkness and heading to the safe house where General Braddock would meet up with the rest of his team and continue with the plan.

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><p><strong>Here it is, some back story on what's going on with the General! Let me know what you think! Next update will be up within the week! Enjoy!<strong>


	3. Chapter 3

**Here's the next chapter! It's the longest one yet, so I hope you enjoy! The next few chapters probably won't be as long as this one because I don't really know how I want to go about them just yet, but I'm working on it so be on the look out! Also, it might take longer than a few days to get those chapters up. I've kinda had these past chapters thought out and with the next few I'll basically be starting from scratch. Hope you guys understand! Thanks for all the support and nice comments so far!**

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><p><em>5 days earlier...<em>

**Toronto**

After an uneventful day of patrol, Team One, nearing the end of their shift, had reconvened at the Barn. They were debriefing when Winnie walked into the briefing room with a concerned look on her face. "Sorry to interrupt Sarge, but there are some people here looking for Sam. They're military-they say it's really important."

The other members of Team One glanced at Sam as he got up and went to the door of the briefing room. He saw three uniformed military officers, one of which is his uncle Major Steven Braddock, standing by Winnie's desk. Sam had a growing feeling of uneasiness in his stomach, knowing that anytime military personnel made a house call it meant that something bad had happened. Sam sighed and muttered "this can't be good" as he walked out of the briefing room and joined the officers at Winnie's desk. The rest of Team One looked on from the briefing room. While they couldn't hear what Sam was being told, the growing look of sadness and despair on his face let the team know that the news wasn't good. They watched as Sam received a letter from one of the officers and was then enveloped in a hug by the eldest officer. The embrace ended as Sam turned away from the retreating officers, pulled his phone out and headed off to the locker room.

Jules and Spike started to follow Sam, but Greg stepped in front of them and cut them off. "Not so fast guys. I don't know what's going on but let's give Sam a few minutes alone before we go and attack him for details." Spike sighed and sat back down, but Jules continued to sneak glances toward the locker room.

Fifteen minutes later, Team One had relocated to Winnie's desk and were asking her about Sam and what went down with him earlier. "I didn't hear anything Sarge, but by the look on Sam's face, something really bad happened."

Team One shared a concern look. Ed checked his watch. It had now been 20 minutes since Sam had received that letter and disappeared into the locker room. As Ed was about to go check on him, Team Three, returning from their last hot call, entered the room. They all wore a look of sadness on their faces, especially Donna, whose eyes glistened with unshed tears. Donna walked over to them and Greg put an arm around her shoulders. "Tough call?"

Donna looked up at him, confusion replacing the sadness on her face. "Um, no. The call ended well. Have you guys not been watching the news?"

Donna looked around and saw a bunch of shaking heads. She turned away and walked into the gym, Team One following behind her. She picked up the remote from the weight bench and turned on the news. Images of fiery wreckage filled the screen as BREAKING NEWS scrolled across the bottom. Multiple soldiers and rescue teams could be seen swarming around the wreckage as the voice over of a newscaster came into play. "_What you at home are seeing now is what's left of a Canadian military transport plane that was reportedly shot down early this morning in Kandahar. Rescue workers are continuing to search through the wreckage, but military officers have confirmed that it is no longer a search and rescue for the wounded, but a recovery for the bodies. The families of the fallen soldiers have been notified and while a complete list of the victims has not yet been released, it has been confirmed that one of the victims is General William Braddock..."_

Donna turned the volume down as she stared at the grief-stricken faces of Team One. They all had tears in their eyes except for Jules, who had them flowing freely down her cheeks. "This has been playing on every news channel and radio station since it happened."

Greg shook his head in disbelief. "Oh God."

Spike rubbed his hands down his face as he stared at the TV. "I can't believe this is happening. God, poor Sam."

"How is Sam doing?" Donna asked, concerned, as she looked at her heartbroken fellow officers and former teammates. She and Sam had never been close but her heart still ached for him and the loss he was experiencing.

"We don't know," Ed spoke up, turning away from the horrific sight on the television screen to face Donna. "Some military officers were here about 30-45 minutes ago to talk to him. They gave him a letter and one of them hugged him, but after that he went into the locker room to make a phone call and hasn't been out since."

Jules wiped her face free of tears and took a deep breath. "I'm going to go talk to him. He shouldn't be alone right now."

Jules left the gym and headed towards the locker room, her heart breaking for the man she loved more than anything. She heard Spike say that he was coming too, and soon Ed, Greg, and Wordy were following behind as well. What they saw when they entered the locker room broke their hearts even more. Sam was sitting on the bench, his back facing the door. His phone was sitting on top of the opened letter beside him on the floor and his head was in his hands. Jules slowly walked over and sat behind him on the bench. She gently laid a hand on his back and felt how tense his muscles were. Jules knew Sam. She knew him very well; he was trying to bottle up his emotions, keep them hidden from her and the rest of the team, but the tension in his muscles suggested that he would not be able to hold it together for much longer. "Sam?"

Sam dropped his hands and turned to look at Jules over his shoulder. She gave him a small smile and put her free hand on his cheek. His eyes, red and rimmed with tears, gazed into hers and the pain Jules saw in them almost broke her. She couldn't break down though, not now. She had to be strong for Sam. "I'm so sorry," Jules said softly as she pulled him into a hug. Sam hugged her back fiercely and silently started sobbing, no longer able to hold back all the tears and emotions he had been bottling up inside since receiving that letter.

Sam never cried. He never showed emotion or let his feelings get the best of him; he was a soldier through and through. For the second time since joining SRU, the first time being when Jules had been shot, Sam didn't look like a soldier. He looked like a broken man. It was a sight that brought tears to the eyes of even the toughest members of Team One. Spike, Greg, Ed and Wordy silently walked over to where Jules and Sam were on the bench. Each man made it a point to put a hand on Sam, a sign of love and support. After all, Team One was more than just a team. They were a family, and when one of them hurt, they all hurt.


	4. Chapter 4

**Y'all, I had the hardest time writing this chapter for some reason. I don't really know how I feel about this chapter so I hope it's OK. It's a long one, so I hope you enjoy! **

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><p><em>4 days earlier...<em>

**Toronto**

No one could deny that yesterday was a tough day, especially for Sam. When Team One's shift ended, after Commander Holleran had found them in the locker room and sent them home, Sam returned to his apartment alone. While the team had offered to come with him, Sam had respectfully declined their offer. He needed alone time; time to grieve and time to come to terms with the day's events. His alone time was cut short however, by the countless calls from his mother and his sister that lasted until the early morning hours. He hated hearing them cry more than anything in the world and it broke Sam's heart to know that there was absolutely nothing he could do to make things better. As the hours on the clock ticked by and Sam lay tossing and turning in bed waiting for sleep to come, the only thing he could think about was his father. Sam and the General had never seen eye to eye. They fought, they argued and they wanted completely different things. The General was tough and strict, Sam was stubborn and determined. Two opposing forces that always clashed but loved each other none the less, even though neither man was particularly vocal about it. Sam sat up in bed and ran his hands through his hair as he released a shuttering breath. He didn't need alone time, he needed his family. He needed Team One.

An hour later Sam walked into the Barn. It was still early and Team One's shift didn't start for a while, so Sam was the only one there. He nodded to Ben, the night shift dispatcher, as he walked past him and into the locker room. Sam changed into his workout gear and headed to the gym, hoping to get a few rounds in with the punching bag before his team arrived. As Sam shuffled around the bag, throwing punches left and right, Commander Holleran watched from a nearby corner. Once the speed of Sam's punches slowed, Holleran stepped into the gym. "Good morning Sam."

Sam immediately stopped punching the bag and looked towards where the voice came from. "Good morning Commander Holleran."

"Sam, would you mind coming with me for a moment?"

Sam stared at his boss with a confused look on his face. "Uhh, sure. Of course, sir. Please, lead the way."

Sam stripped off his gloves and tossed them on the floor as he followed Holleran into the briefing room. They sat in adjacent chairs and turned to face each other. Holleran studied the man in front of him for a moment before he spoke. "Sam, I am so sorry to hear about your father. I can't even begin to imagine what you and your family must be going through."

Holleran saw a glimmer of pain in Sam's eyes before Sam turned his head and cleared his throat. Sam looked back at Holleran with a sad smile on his face. "Thank you sir. That means a lot."

Holleran gave a small sigh and leaned forward slightly in his chair. "Sam, you don't need to be here." Holleran's tone was strong, but concern laced every word. "Go home. Be with your family. Take as much time off as you need, we can find a temporary replacement for Team One until you get back. You need to be with your family right now."

Sam smiled and gave a short, small chuckle. "Thank you sir, I appreciate that. My family's still in Ottawa, I'm going down there tomorrow to be there for the final homecoming. Until then, I need to be here sir. Team One is my family too. I need them, and I could use the distraction."

As Sam and Commander Holleran continued to talk in the briefing room, the other members of Team One began to filter in. First Greg and Ed, followed by Wordy then Spike and finally Jules. They all stood at the dispatch desk, shocked and confused, as they saw Sam talking with Holleran. As the two men in the briefing stood up and shook hands, their audience scurried off into the locker rooms. Moments later, Sam walked into the men's locker room where the team, minus Jules, was changing into their workout gear. Spike was the first to notice Sam's presence. "Hey Samtastic!"

Ed, Greg and Wordy all turned away from their lockers to face the entrance where Sam was standing. "Sam, hey buddy," Greg said as walked over to the younger man and put a comforting hand on his shoulder. Ed went to Sam as well and stood opposite of Greg. "Hey Samo. What are you doing here?"

"I'm here to work," Sam answered strongly as he looked at his mentor and Team Leader.

"Really? Are you sure Sam?" Wordy asked, always the concerned father figure of the team.

"Yeah, I'm sure. I already spoke with Holleran. I told him that I needed to be here with my team and he gave me the OK."

"What about your mom and Nat? Shouldn't you be with them?" Sam looked over at Spike as he came to stand next to Ed.

"They're actually on their way here. The General's final homecoming is tomorrow and my mom wants us to go to the airport together."

The pain in Sam's eyes were unmistakable to his team. Greg gave his shoulder a small squeeze. "We're glad you're here today Sam, but if you need to leave at any time, please don't hesitate to ask." Sam smiled at the man he considered to be a second father.

"Thanks Sarge."

Sam left the locker room while the guys finished changing and headed to the gym to resume his workout. He found Jules by the treadmills as he walked in. When she heard him enter, Jules quickly crossed the room and encased Sam with a hug. He hugged her back then pulled away as he heard footsteps approaching. Sam gave Jules a small smile as if to say "I'm OK," and headed over to the punching bag where he picked up his gloves and resumed his morning workout. Half way through their workout Winnie's voice came over the speaker. "Team One, hot call! Hostage situation at 1869 Redwood Lane. Unis have been dispatched, they should be there when you arrive."

"Suit up! Let's go keep the peace!" Team One raced out of the gym into the locker rooms and within minutes they were all dressed and on the road to their hot call.

When Team One arrived on the scene the police were already there and were getting things set up. Team One got out of their trucks and met up to get instructions and information. "What do we got Officer?" Greg asked the young police officer as he walked up to them.

"An eighteen year old, David Mitchell is holding his father Bryan at gunpoint in the living room of the house. We've been waiting for you and your team to get here before we tried to make contact with them."

"All right, thank you Officer. We'll take it from here," Greg turned away from the officer and faced his team. As he turned around he glanced at Sam whose weariness about this call already showed in his eyes."All right team, listen up. Spike, you and Wordy grab the snake cam. I want eyes and ears in there. Jules, I want you to try and talk this kid down. Ed, you're with Jules. Sam, I want you to stay in the truck." Sam opened his mouth to object but Greg stopped him. "No arguments Sam. You're in the truck. I want as much information on this kid and his father as you can get."

"Yes sir." Sam disappeared inside the command truck.

The rest of Team One got to their tasks. Greg grabbed the megaphone and turned it on. "David Mitchell. This is Sargent Greg Parker with the Strategic Response Unit. We're going to be calling your phone, please answer." Greg put the megaphone down and joined Sam in the truck. Sam already had the number pulled up and Greg started dialing. Greg tried several times but each time the call went unanswered. Greg sighed. "Spike, Wordy, how's it going with the snake cam?"

"Camera is in Sarge. You should be getting eyes and audio in seconds."

Sure enough, a few seconds later the image of the Mitchell's living room appeared on the screen. Soon after that, the team began to hear the boy's conversation in their comms. The boy sounded very agitated and the father was pleading with him. Jules and Ed made their way around to the back of the house, hoping they could get in without alerting David. "Sam, what do we know about this kid?"

"David Mitchell, 18 year old senior at Westbrook. School records say he's a straight A student, top of his class, merit scholar, valedictorian...this kid is smart. His father Bryan is a single father, been that way since David's mother died of cancer when he was 6. He works two jobs just to make ends-meat. Statements from the neighbors say that Bryan is a very involved father, never missing anything that had to do with David." The team took in the information,especially Ed and Jules who were entering the house through the backdoor.

"Jules and I are inside the house boss. We're approaching the living room."

"Copy that. Go carefully Ed." Sam and Greg watched on the monitor as Ed and Jules came into view. David immediately noticed them and began to grow more agitated. "Talk him down Jules."

"David? My name is Jules. Can you tell me why you're doing this?"

David looked at her, gun still in hand and still pointing at his father, who sat fearfully in the corner. "I'm doing this because of him!" David spat out, turning away from Jules to look angrily at his father.

"Can you tell me why, David? What did he do?"

David scoffed and looked at Jules. "What doesn't he do? All my life, he's told me what to do. I never got to make any of my own choices. Well, I finally did and he can't handle it. He wants me to go to college and become a doctor. I don't want that! My whole life has been about school and I'm tired of it."

"You're throwing away everything you've worked for, everything we've worked for, everything I've done for you," Bryan spoke from his spot in the corner.

David snapped his head around and looked at his father, his hand holding the gun shaking fiercely. "SHUT UP!"

Sarge's voice came over the comm. "He's escalating Jules. You've got to calm him down."

Jules tried to get David's focus back onto her, but he just kept screaming about how no one understood what he had to live with and how tired he was of it all. Sam watched the scene play out on the monitor and couldn't help but feel a connection to the boy. Sam sighed and looked at Greg. "Let me talk to him Sarge." Sam's request was immediately met with disapproving comments from his team. "Sarge please, I think I can talk him down. You have to let me try."

Greg looked at Sam. He saw eyes full of emotion and dedication. "Can you handle this Sam?" Sam nodded. Greg sighed. "All right, you can try, but if things start getting hairy Jules is taking over. Understood?"

"Yes sir." Sam got out of the truck, grabbed his gun and headed for the back door.

"Wordy, go with him. Spike, you're with me. Leave the camera up and join me in the truck."

"Copy that, boss." Spike went around front while Wordy joined Sam at the back door and entered the house with him.

When Sam reached the living room and took in the scene before him he knew what he had to do. It would be painful but he knew he had to make sure both David and his dad got out safe. David locked eyes with Sam as he came into view.

"Who are you?!"

"My name's Sam Braddock and I know what you're going through."

David snorted and rolled his eyes at Sam. "Right. Sure you do."

"I'm serious. I know where you're coming from David."

David looked at him with suspicious eyes. "Yeah? How?"

Sam took a deep breath and relaxed his posture. "I'm the son of a military General. Growing up, I had no say in anything. The General chose what classes I would take, what extracurriculars I would do, and even what friends I was allowed to have. He had high expectations that had to be met. It was always his way, there was no highway option."

David's eyes began to soften as he realized that Sam actually did know what he was going through. "How on earth did you survive? That would have drove me crazy."

Sam gave him a small smile. "I grew up in a military family. My father raised me to be a 'good little soldier'. I was taught to respect those above me and to follow orders without giving it a second thought. I didn't have a choice. Breaking the General's rules had worse consequences than following them, so I listened, and I did what he wanted."

"So your father raised you as a soldier to become a cop?"

"No. I joined the military at 18, just like he wanted. I did two tours with Special Forces."

"So why are you here? Do Special Forces soldiers always spend their free time with the police force?"

"Not most, just me." Sam's comment brought smiles to the faces of his teammates. "And it's ex-Special Forces. I was done with the army after my second tour."

David snorted. " I bet your dad just LOVED that."

Sam scoffed. "Oh he hated it. He was furious, said I was 'throwing everything away'..."

Sam was interrupted by David, who threw his hands up and started waving the gun around. "That's what he thinks! He says I'm throwing everything away by not going to college! He doesn't understand! He's NEVER asked me about what I want, it's always about what he wants. He doesn't care about me or what I want!"

"But he does David! Look at him!" Sam pointed to Bryan who was now crying in the corner. "Can't you see what this is doing to him? Our fathers sound like they are a lot alike. All our lives they have raised us doing and teaching us what they thought was best for us. Your dad works two jobs just to make ends meat, but hasn't he always been around when you needed him? Hasn't he been at every one of your award ceremonies or competitions? He's proud of you. Sometimes, for people like our fathers, it's hard for them to vocalize how they feel, so they dictate our lives and make us do what they think is best. It's not because they don't care or because they're selfish, it's because they care about us and they love us."

Sam saw David's eyes begin to tear up. Sam knew he was breaking through to David, but he also realized that he was trying not only trying to convince David that what he said was true, he was also trying to convince himself. Sam felt his own eyes starting to well up with tears, but he pushed them back, his job wasn't done yet. "He loves you David. He just wants what's best for you. He wants you to be happy. Talk to him, tell him how you feel, tell him what you want. He might get mad and he might be angry, but he's still your father and he will still love you."

David's body shook with sobs as Sam's words finally broke through. David dropped the gun and fell to his knees crying. His father rushed from his spot in the corner, took his son into his arms and cried with him. Sam felt Ed squeeze his shoulder. "Good job Sam."

Sam looked at him with a small smile then turned and left the house. He needed a minute to himself before he met up with the rest of the team.

By the time Sam had collected himself and walked into the front yard the scene had been cleaned up and David and his father were with the police. Sam joined his team over by the trucks and they each gave him a hug or a comforting squeeze on the shoulder. As Team One packed up their trucks and prepared to leave, David and Bryan, escorted by a police officer, walk over to them. "Sam?"

Sam turned around and saw David and Bryan staring at him. The rest of the team turned around as well. "What's going on, David?"

"I need to ask you something." David looked up at his father, then turned his gaze back to Sam. "Did your father ever forgive you? I mean, did he ever get over you leaving the military?"

Sam gave a small, choked chuckle and looked at David. The tears Sam had just pushed away were threatening to spill again. "I'd like to think that. I'd like to think he was coming around or that he even approved of me being a cop, but I don't know. We never got around to talking about it."

"What happened?" David asked. His eyes were soft, completely opposite of they had been just half an hour before.

"He uh..." Sam swallowed hard. "He died. He was killed yesterday morning when his plane was shot down."

Team One looked at their teammate and saw how hard he was trying to keep from breaking down in front of David. David's eyes filled up with tears and he once again looked up at his father, whose eyes shone with tears as well, then back at Sam. "I'm so sorry."

Bryan lifted his hand to his son's shoulder and squeezed it. Bryan thanked Sam and the cop lead them away. Sam stood rooted in place as he tried to control the emotions building up inside of him. The rest of Team One looked at him concerned. Ed and Greg shared a look and moved towards him signaling for the others to stay back. Spike, Wordy and Jules watched as Ed and Greg approached Sam.

Greg put a comforting hand on his shoulder and Ed stood in front of him with one of his hands cupping Sam's cheek, trying to get his attention. "Sam, listen to me. Everything you said to David in there it applies to you too, OK? Your father would be so proud of you."

Sam looked Ed in the eyes, fighting hard to hold back the tears. "How do you know?"

Ed gave him a fatherly smile and moved his hand from Sam's cheek to his other shoulder. "Because anyone would be proud to have you as a son." Ed squeezed Sam's shoulder and gave him a little shake.

Greg squeezed Sam's other shoulder. Sam looked at him. "We're proud of you too, Sam. All of us. You did good Sam, you did real good. Take a minute and get yourself together and we'll get out of here. OK?"

Sam nodded. Greg and Ed smiled at him then went back over to the team. Sam turned away from them, collected himself once again and rejoined his team after he was sure that he could keep his emotions at bay. As Sam approached his teammates he was greeted by smiles. Jules gave him a side hug, Spike slapped his back and Wordy squeezed his shoulder. They loaded in the trucks and headed back to the Barn. The rest of Team One's shift was pleasantly uneventful. When their shift was over and everyone was leaving they all made sure to either give Sam a handshake or a hug. They knew how hard tomorrow was going to be on Sam and they wanted him to know that he was not alone. Sam knew. He knew tomorrow would be hard, one of the hardest things his family had ever gone through. It was a heavy burden, but Sam knew he wasn't going to be carrying it alone; Team One always had his back.

...

**Kandahar- Safe House**

General Braddock and his team sat around the safe house table. They watched the Canadian news on a laptop in the center. One station replayed the broadcast from the crash site and another spoke about the "_final homecoming for the fallen heroes" _that would be happening tomorrow at airports across the country. One of the stations showed footage from the base in Ottawa where General Braddock and a few others were stationed. Make-shift memorials filled with flowers and pictures of those lost were scattered over the base. As heartbreaking as it was to see, it was just the proof they needed to know that their plan was a success and that people actually believed that they were dead. But did they manage to trick the right people?

Moments later, the door to the safe house opened and Lieutenant Roberts walked in carrying a satellite phone. "That was our intel. There have been no more threats received or detected since the news broke." Lieutenant Roberts shot a sharp look at General Braddock. "Congratulations sir. Everyone thinks you're dead."

General Braddock gave Lieutenant Roberts a look that would make the average soldier quake in his boots. "Watch your tone, Roberts. We did what we had to do."

"Anyways, sir. If you are still planning on leaving we need to head for the airstrip now. The sooner we leave, the darker it will be when we hit the home front. From there, you have two safe houses to choose from, one in Kingston and one in London."

"Right. Thank you Lieutenant." General Braddock turned towards the rest of his team. "Let's go home, men."

**Kandahar- Bunker**

_Minutes earlier…_

Deep beneath the city in an underground bunker, a small group of insurgents sat around a satellite phone. They listened as their insider told them that General Braddock was alive, well and heading back to Canada tonight.

"He thinks you all think he's dead. It's all part of the plan he thinks is so great. Your plan failed and now he's leaving the country. If you want to destroy him, you have to think of something else."

The insurgents hung up the phone and looked at each other. They were furious that the General had outsmarted them and was now leaving the country. They needed a plan and they needed one fast.

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><p><strong>*When I mentioned London I was referring to London, Ontario not London, England.*<strong>


	5. Chapter 5

**Here's the next chapter! Please forgive me for any mistakes made in regards to Canadian military protocols and/or procedures. My knowledge of the Canadian military and how things work is very limited and while I did some research, not everything was clear. However, I did try my best and I hope you enjoy!**

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><p><em>3 days earlier...<em>

**Toronto**

The Braddocks sat inside of a car on the tarmac, waiting for the plane carrying the General's casket to land. Through the tinted window of the black SUV, Sam saw news vans and dozens of reports lined up outside of the gates surrounding the runways. Uniformed soldiers stood at attention, not only outside of the Braddock's car, but spread out across the tarmac as well. Minutes later, the plane they were all waiting for arrived. As they watched the plane approach from inside the car, Natalie and Elizabeth, Sam's mother, began to cry. Sam stared at the plane, unmoving and unthinking. Sam didn't want to think. He was tired of thinking; thinking about everything he had said to David the day before, everything his team had said to him, and now thinking about how he could possibly fill the hole in his life that was left behind by his father's death. A hole that, much to Sam's surprise, felt astronomically large. Sam was snapped out of his stupor when one of the doors to the SUV was opened. The soldier holding the door motioned for them to come outside. Mrs. Braddock exited the car first, followed by Natalie and then Sam. Major Braddock, flanked by soldiers, stood a few feet away. The pain he was feeling, not just his own sorrow towards his brother's death but the sorrow he felt for his sister-in-law, niece and nephew as well, was evident on his face. As his family reached him, the Major readied himself and tried to hide some of the pain on his face. He took Natalie in his arms and gave her a strong hug. He released her and took Elizabeth's hand, squeezing it tightly. When Major Braddock got to Sam, he put all proper military procedures aside and enveloped his nephew in a hug, much like he did when he was tasked with delivering the news of the General's death. Breaking away from the hug Major Braddock led the family closer to the plane. The Braddocks watched, along with many other soldiers and countless journalists and reporters, as the General's casket, adorned with a Canadian flag on top, was taken off the plane. As the casket was carried by on the way to the hearse, every soldier on the tarmac, including Sam, gave a final salute to the fallen General. The casket was loaded into the waiting hearse and the Braddocks were escorted back to their SUV and loaded inside. Once all the cars were loaded, the long caravan of cars left the airport. Accompanied by a police escort, the procession began the journey from the airport to the funeral home, where the General's casket will stay until the funeral. The procession was long and the highways and overpasses were filled with people and flags showing their love, thanks and support to the fallen General and his family. The sight was sobering to the Braddocks inside the SUV and the rest of the trip was spent in silent reflection.

All throughout the city of Toronto and other cities in Canada, news stations played live footage of the procession all morning. Those who could not make it out to watch the procession in person were watching it on TV. That's where Team One and Team Three were. They all watched the General's procession on the big screen in the briefing room and wished that they were with Sam.

...

**Kingston**

General Braddock and his team arrived at the Kingston safe house in the early hours of the morning. Hours later, they all sat around the living room TV and watched the broadcast of the funeral procession. When General Braddock saw the amount of people who showed up to watch the procession and show their support, he felt something that he rarely felt—guilt. It was a rare emotion for the General and he quickly pushed it away. Lieutenant Roberts, flanked by two of the General's guards, entered the living room. General Braddock looked at him. "What's the word Lieutenant?"

"Your funeral is in two days at York Memorial Cemetery."

"Is it going to be televised?"

Lieutenant Roberts looked at General Braddock with a shocked expression. "Televised? That's quite narcissistic of you General. What are you doing? Recording these for future enjoyment?"

General Braddock gave Lieutenant Roberts a stern look. "Change your tone Lieutenant, now. This is an unorthodox situation but I am still your commanding officer and whether you approve of what I'm doing or not, you will show me some respect. Now, is there going to be media coverage of the funeral?"

"Yes sir," Lieutenant Roberts answered. "There will be news stations and photographers from local newspapers present. Plus it will be streamed overseas so those deployed can watch as well."

"Excellent. The more media coverage, the more convincing this will be." The General leaned back in his chair and crossed his arms over his chest. "How's my family doing?"

"About as well as you would expect. Sam is supposed to be giving the eulogy."

The General snorted. "What I wouldn't give to hear that. We've never seen eye to eye, Sam and I. It'd be a miracle if he could think of something nice to say."

"Don't say that General. You know Sam loves you, and I know you love him too, even if both of you Braddocks are too stubborn to admit it."

The General gave a short chuckle and nodded his head to the Lieutenant's statement. The General did know that Sam loved him and deep down inside, he could only hope that Sam and his family would forgive him for all of this.


	6. Chapter 6

**This chapter is going to be short but I needed something to happen and this kind of fit the timeline. My next update will be longer, pinkie promise! I hope you all enjoy anyways. **

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><p><em>2 days earlier...<em>

**Kandahar**

At the Kandahar International Airport, two brothers Ali and Amir Faris, made their way through security. They had a plan and they were ready to put that plan into action. Just hours earlier, the two received very coveted information regarding the General's current whereabouts and the itinerary for his funeral.

As they approached the ticket counter, the man behind the counter took their passports and money, then pulled up travel documents. When he heard their intended destination, the man behind the counter looked at the brothers a very curious expression. "Toronto is quite a far ways away just for a weekend trip."

"Yes, it is, but a… friend of ours is having a rather important weekend and we thought we would surprise him," Ali responded, a nice smile on his face but a mischievous look in his eyes, a look that did not go unnoticed by the man behind the ticket counter. He stared at them, but gave them their passports and tickets regardless.

A few hours later, the two brothers were on a plane headed to Toronto. They had a laptop on the tray table between their seats and they began their research on the long flight; research that would give them all the information they needed to finish their plan.


	7. Chapter 7

_One day earlier..._

**Toronto**

Sam sat on his couch, laptop in his lap, and stared at the blank screen in front of him. He had been assigned the task of delivering the eulogy at the General's funeral and was at a loss for words. His mom and Natalie were busy, talking to family and finalizing the details for tomorrow, so Sam was left to write the eulogy by himself. A few minutes later when Natalie came out of Sam's spare bedroom to get a refill of coffee, a knock came at the front door.

"Sam, someone's at the door," Natalie yelled as she filled her cup in the kitchen.

"So answer it! You're closer."

"It's not my house," Natalie said as she went back into the back room, coffee in hand.

Sam rolled his eyes, got off the couch and opened the front door. Team One was there, dressed in civilian clothes, with beer in hand. Sam smiled and opened the door wider as he invited his team, his _family, _into the apartment. Team One returned Sam's smile and filtered into the living room. Ed was the last one to enter the apartment. He slapped Sam on the back as he shut the door. "Hey Samo, how's it going?"

"Well, my sister is about to drive me crazy, but what else is new?"

Spike chuckled and looked up at Sam from the couch. "What's she doing?"

Sam shook his head with a small smile on his face as he sat down on the couch. "She's a Braddock. Braddocks and emotions don't mix. You're either an emotional wreck, grouchy and snarky to everyone you come in contact with, or you're well… me."

Team One laughed and made themselves comfortable in the living room. Sam put his laptop on the coffee table and Spike noticed the screen. "Whatcha working on?"

"I'm trying to write a eulogy. I've been trying to write it for the past 3 hours and the page is still as blank as it was when I started."

"Why don't you ask Natalie or your mom for some help?" Wordy asked from the chair next to the couch.

"Well I asked Nat and she threw a book at me."

Jules laughed and smiled at Sam from the other end of the couch. "So Nat's the snarky one?"

"Nat gives snarky a new name. Anyways I'm probably just going to wing it. I've always been more of a 'speak from the heart' kind of person."

The team nodded their understanding. There were a few minutes of comfortable silence as everyone drank their beers. Sam took a long sip and then looked around at his team. "So, what brings you guys by?"

Greg leaned forward and sat his beer on the coffee table. He rested his elbows on his legs and looked at Sam. "We actually came to talk to you about something. Holleran gave us the day off tomorrow."

Sam's eyebrows shot up. "Really? Are you guys going to come to the funeral?"

"That's what we wanted to talk to you about. Do you want us at the funeral? I know the General wasn't the biggest fan of the SRU and we don't want to intrude if it's just a family thing…"

"NO! Come, please. You guys are my family too."

Greg smiled at him and nodded. "OK."

Team One hung around for a little while longer and finally left hours after they arrived. Sam walked them out then returned to his spot on the couch. He started at his laptop, the blank page that was supposed to hold his father's eulogy, was staring back at him. Sam shut the lid and left the computer sitting on the coffee table as he retired to his bedroom for the night. Thoughts about the coming day's activities flooded his mind and though anxiety wracked his body, Sam also felt a sense of overwhelming comfort and relief knowing that his team would be there for him tomorrow.

...

Ten miles away, at the York Hotel, Ali and Amir were huddled around the table in their hotel room. In front of them sat a map of the York Memorial Cemetery and a rifle. The location where the General's service was to be held was marked on the map along with a crudely drawn layout of where the chairs and podium would be located. Ali pointed to a location on the map and looked at Amir. "This is where you will be. Wait for my signal, then take the shot."

Amir nodded, then looked from the map to his brother, a small smile on his face. "This will bring the General out of hiding. He won't even know what hit him."

Ali smiled a devious smile back at his brother. "Neither will his son."

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><p><strong>Oh snap! Stuff's about to get real! Next update will be within the week! Enjoy!<strong>


	8. Chapter 8

**Wow, y'all are amazing and your comments make me so happy! I'm so glad y'all are enjoying this!  
><strong>**To answer a question I've been getting a lot- No, Sam and Jules are not together. They do have very strong feelings for each other, and those feelings will come out in the next few chapters, but they are not together.**

**Here's the next chapter! **

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><p><em>Present...<em>

**Toronto**

Sam stood with his uncle near the General's casket. Both men were impeccably dressed; the Major in his military issued dress uniform and Sam in black slacks and a white button down shirt. They talked silently to each other and watched as the General's family members and coworkers began to arrive. As the mourners arrived, they all made sure to pay their respects not only to Mrs. Braddock and Natalie, who were meeting people as they came in, but to Sam and Major Braddock as well. When Sam saw two familiar black SUVs pull into the parking lot nearby, he excused himself from his uncle and made his way towards the entrance where he knew his team would soon be arriving. Sam watched them approach and gave a small smile, feeling comforted that they were there. The presence of Commander Holleran with Team One surprised Sam, although it was not completely unexpected. When the group of SRU officers reached their teammate Spike smiled and whistled quietly. "Samtastic! You clean up nice."

Sam chuckled and gave hugs and handshakes to his teammates and commanding officer. "Don't get used to it. I hate dressing up, but this is much better than military dress uniforms. Those things are suffocating."

The team smiled, relieved that the stress and emotions of the day hadn't affected Sam's sense of humor. The arrival of the chaplain prompted all the guests to take their seats. Sam went to the front and joined his family while Team One and Holleran stood off to the side. The chaplain stepped up to the podium and began the service. Once the chaplain was finished, several of the General's coworkers, and Major Braddock, spoke as well. After Major Braddock had finished speaking about his brother, it was Sam's turn. He stepped up to the podium and took in the gathered crowd.

"All my life I've been told that the General and I were a lot alike. We both, of course, adamantly denied it but that just proved the point further." The crowd chuckled and Sam gave a small smile. "The General was a good man and a caring man, even though he didn't want anyone to know it…"

As Sam continued on with his eulogy, Amir watched through his scope from his position behind a large tombstone 900 meters away. Highly skilled at lip-reading, Amir understood what Sam was saying and had to contain his growing anger to just an eye roll. Amir continued to scan the crowd through his scope until he found Ali standing near the back. Ali looked towards the location where he knew his brother was waiting and gave a nod. It was go time. Amir retrained his scope onto Sam and put his finger on the trigger.

"…The General was a loving husband, father and brother. He was a dedicated soldier who loved his country almost as much as he loved…"

_POP. POP_.

Two shots.

There were two shots followed by silence. Then, the screaming started.

Screams of fear and screams for help mixed with the sound of chairs tipping over, orders being given and feet running in all directions. The confusion and fear was almost tangible. Just moments ago all of Team One, Commander Holleran, the Braddock family and several military officers were gathered in the cemetery listening to Sam as he gave the eulogy at his father's funeral and now, Sam was on the ground behind the podium with two gunshot wounds in his chest. As he quickly lost consciousness, Sam heard his team call out to him but before he could answer back, the pain pulled him into unconsciousness. While the military officers on the scene ran in all different directions to secure the scene and find the shooter, Team One ran towards their fallen teammate. Upon reaching Sam and seeing his condition, Ed and Spike dropped down to their knees and immediately began applying pressure to the two gushing gunshot wounds in Sam's chest. Sam's skin was already a few shades paler and his crisp white shirt was now stained with an alarming amount of blood. Major Braddock got on the phone with 911 and requested an ambulance to their location, then went to stand with and comfort Natalie and Mrs. Braddock. Commander Holleran called the SRU and ordered Winnie to send a team out immediately. Spike and Ed applied heavy pressure to try and stop the bleeding while Wordy kept an eye on Sam's pulse and Jules and Greg knelt by Sam's head. The pain from Spike and Ed applying pressure pulled Sam back to consciousness. He groaned and his eyes fluttered open, revealing the concerned faces of his teammates leaning over him. Jules was the first one to notice that Sam was awake. "Sam!"

Realizing that Sam was awake, Ed leaned over so that Sam could see his face. "Sam, buddy, stay with me. You're going to be fine, OK? Help's on the way, just hang on." Sam gave a small nod and tried his hardest to stay awake. Sam's eyes found Jules' and he slowly moved his hand up towards her. Jules looked down and noticed what he was doing. She took his hand in hers and held on tight. Sam gave Jules's hand a light squeeze and slipped back into unconsciousness. Ed felt Sam's body go slack under his hands and looked up to see that Sam was unconscious again. "Hold on Sam, just hold on."

Ed and Spike both applied more pressure to the wounds on Sam's chest, desperately trying to staunch the blood that was still flowing freely. Spike looked up at Ed. "He's still losing too much blood."

"His pulse is getting weaker," Wordy chimed in gravely.

"Where the hell is that ambulance?" Ed growled as he applied even more pressure. Almost immediately sirens could be heard approaching and soon, flashing red and blue lights could be seen as well. The ambulance pulled up and the paramedics jumped out. Everyone moved away as the medics immediately started working on Sam. Realizing the severity of the situation and the critical state Sam was in, the paramedics knew they didn't have any time to waste. They loaded Sam onto the stretcher, put him in the ambulance and sped off to St. Simon's Hospital. Unable to ride in the ambulance, Major Braddock, Natalie and Mrs. Braddock followed immediately behind. Silence returned to the cemetery as Team One and Commander Holleran watched the ambulance carrying Sam and the Braddocks speed away. Seconds after the ambulance left, Team Two arrived on the scene. Holleran stepped away to fill them in and they immediately went to work, a look of sheer determination on all of their faces. Once Holleran was back with Team One, they all climbed back into the SUVs and raced off towards St. Simon's.

...

As soon as Amir fired the shots and saw that he had hit his target, he packed up his rifle and left to meet up with Ali. The only evidence left behind were the two shell casings from the bullets that hit Sam. The shell casings were a specific kind, a kind that would be very familiar to a specific General.

Amir stashed his rifle then joined Ali in the crowd of mourners and watched the hectic scene in front of them. The brothers watched as the ambulance carrying Sam left, followed by a SUV carrying his family. Just moments after the ambulance, a small caravan of black SUVs enters the cemetery. A team of cops decked out in cool pants and tactical gear exited the SUVs. After a short meeting, the cops spread out to help the military personnel already checking the scene. Ali and Amir slipped away from the group, got in their car and drove away.

...

When Holleran and Team One arrived at St Simon's and made it into the waiting room, the Braddocks were there waiting. Major Braddock was pacing the floor and talking on the phone while Natalie and Mrs. Braddock sat huddled together in the chairs, tears streaming down their faces. Major Braddock hung up the phone and walked over to Team One. Greg was the first person to speak up. "Do we know anything yet?"

Major Braddock sighed. "They lost him once in the ambulance and he was taken straight into surgery when he got here. We haven't heard anything since then."

The faces of everyone in the waiting room fell. They settled into the chairs and waited. Ed and Wordy both checked in with their families; their wives saw the whole ordeal on the news and were rightfully upset. Holleran kept in contact with Team Two and Major Braddock kept in touch with his men. Greg and Ed go and talk to a nurse. They get her up to speed and she offers the growing group a private family room to wait in. They all gratefully accept and move into the private room to wait for an update and pray for the best.

...

General Braddock and his team watched the broadcast of his funeral on the TV. As the General saw the people gathered to mourn him and heard the words his co-workers and family said about him, the guilty feeling he once felt returned full force. Nothing made the General feel worse, however, than hearing the gunshots and seeing Sam go down before the cameras cut off. The General stared at the TV in shock as his men ran around the safe house and tried to get information on the situation. Minutes later, Lieutenant Roberts has information for the General. "Sam was shot twice in the chest. He's in surgery at St. Simon's Hospital. Your brother had officers processing the scene and one of them found something. Two shell casings about 900 meters away from where Sam was. General, the shells are bronze..."

General Braddock gasped at the revelation. He could only think of a select group of people who use bronze coated shells and the thought made his stomach drop. "They know I'm not dead. They know I'm not dead and now they're here and they're targeting my family!"

"I'm afraid so General. I think they targeted Sam to get to you."

To say that the General was angry would be an understatement. He stood up from his chair and walked purposefully toward the door. Lieutenant Roberts looked at him, confused. "General, where are you going?"

"I'm going to see my son."

"Sir, you are supposed to be dead. You can't just go waltzing into the hospital that's filled with people who think you're dead!"

General Braddock turned around to face Lieutenant Roberts. "I don't care Lieutenant. The plan didn't work and now my son's been shot. I'm going to the hospital."

With that General Braddock turned around and left the house. His team followed quickly behind him, leaving Lieutenant Roberts alone.

...

Inside the private family room at St. Simon's, tensions were high. Sam had been in surgery for over three hours and his family and friends had not received an update since he was brought in. Everyone was worried and everyone was scared. Everyone was so distracted by their own thoughts and worries that no one noticed the door open. Only when door slammed shut did they notice the presence of three new bodies in the room and in that moment, the only emotion being experienced in that room was shock.

Team One, Commander Holleran and the Braddock family stood dumbfounded as they all stared into the angry face of General Braddock, a man, who up until that very moment, they all believed to be dead.


	9. Chapter 9

**Thanks for all the love y'all! Here's the next chapter! Enjoy!**

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><p>Shock.<p>

Shock was the main emotion in the room. There was also anger, lots and lots of anger and it was all directed at the General standing in front of them. The General stared at the dumbstruck faces in front of him, his own anger growing. "Well? Is anyone going to tell me about my son?"

Major Braddock was the first to snap out of his stupor, his anger at the current situation overwhelming the shock he was feeling. "Your _son _is in surgery, with the best possible surgeons working on him. I think the better question here is what the hell are _you _doing here?! You're supposed to be dead!"

"Well, as you can see, that's clearly not the case."

Major Braddock glared at his brother. "Cut the crap William. Your son was shot at YOUR funeral and I think you know why, so start talking, and screw the 'need to know' crap."

The General stared at his brother for a moment then sighed and sat down in a nearby chair. The entire room's attention was on him. "Most of you know, but for those of you who don't I've been in Kandahar off and on for the past few months. While I was there, I started receiving threats. We did not know at the beginning who was behind the threats, so we started investigating. As the threats became more frequent my team discovered that they were being sent by an underground group of insurgents. It's a small group and they work on their own. As the threats became more serious and we began intercepting messages that described some of their plans, I decided that we needed to do something."

Jules stared at the General, mouth gaping and eyes raging with anger. "You planned the plane crash?!"

"Yes, I did. The plan was to let them think that they succeeded with their threats in an attempt to draw them out."

Ed was so furious his response came out almost as a growl. "You purposefully planned AND faked your death… You put your family through hell!"

"I know, but I needed their reactions to the news to be genuine. Had they known the truth, it wouldn't have worked."

Everyone in the room scoffed. Natalie looked her father dead in the face. "How could you do this to us?! We thought you were dead!"

"I know that."

Natalie gave the General a confused and pained look then shook her head in disbelief. "Oh my god. Dad!"

Mrs. Braddock looked at her husband while tears streamed son her face. "Why William? Why?"

"It wasn't an easy decision Elizabeth, and I wasn't just doing it for my safety. I was doing it for yours and the kids' safety as well."

"Our safety?!" Natalie practically shouted. "Do you see where we are?!"

Spike, seeing Nat distressed, put a hand on her shoulder and looked at the general. "If you knew you were in danger sir, why didn't you put a protection detail on your family?"

The General sighed. "I overestimated the insurgents' tenacity."

Greg stared at General Braddock. "Wait, are you saying that the people who were threatening you are the same people who shot Sam?"

"Apparently the insurgents found out that I was alive and decided to try and get to me in a different way."

Silence filled the room as everyone took in the newly acquired information. The past few days had been a whirlwind and everyone in the room was struggling to come to terms with everything; first the General "dying", then Sam being shot and finally the general coming out of hiding to reveal that the people behind his reason to play dead were the reason that Sam was where he was. The silence in the room stretched on. Everyone was so lost in their own thoughts and emotions that they didn't even notice the wary looking surgeon walk into the room. His exhausted yet professional voice brought them all back to the present. "Sam Braddock's family?"

Everyone stood and moved closer to the doctor, all hoping for good news, all hoping that Sam was still with them. The surgeon gave a quick glance to each one of them. "I'm Dr. Knox and I was the lead surgeon in Sam's operation. Let me start off my saying that Sam made it through the surgery. He's currently stable, but that could change at any time. As you know, he was shot twice in the chest. The first bullet did the most damage; it tore through the pericardium, nicked the right ventricle and grazed the superior vena cava before lodging in the sixth posterior rib. The second bullet hit and lodged his left lung, causing it to collapse and producing a pneumothorax. We were able to repair the damage done to his heart and reinflate his lung. We put a chest tube in to help with the pneumothorax and that should be coming out in a few lost a lot of blood and we're continuing to give him multiple transfusions." Dr. Knox paused to give the group a minute to process everything. The pale and fearful faces of the people in front of him pulled on his heart strings. "The paramedics lost him once in the ambulance and we lost him twice on the table. I don't know how he survived, but he did. He's one hell of a fighter. Take solace in that."

The news about Sam was hard to take. The extent and severity of Sam's injuries was heartbreaking to his team and his family, but the fact that he was still alive gave them all hope that everything would be OK.

"We have him on oxygen to help with his breathing and we'll be keeping him sedated for a while so his body can heal. He will be in the ICU overnight and, barring all complications, we'll move him down to the CCU in a few days."

Everyone relaxed a little at Dr. Knox's update. Sam was alive. Recovery wise, he had a long way to go, but he was still alive. Major Braddock stepped forward and shook the doctor's hand, thanking him for saving his nephew's life. "Can we see him?"

"In an hour or so, once we get him moved out of recovery and into an ICU room. You won't be able to stay for long, but I can allow a few of you to see him for a couple of minutes. I'll have a nurse come and get you when Sam is settled."

"Thank you doctor."

Dr. Knox gave a nod towards Major Braddock and the rest of Sam's loved ones, then left the room. Major Braddock took a deep breath and turned around to face the others in the room. Everyone looked relieved, but the anxiety was still the dominant emotion in the room. "Well, I guess we should use this time to figure out who's going to go in and visit Sam."

"Obviously we'll all be going in," the General said as he motioned to Natalie, his wife and his brother. "We are his family after all."

Ed furrowed his brow and looked from Greg to the General. "With all due respect General, I don't think it's the best idea for you to go in and see Sam."

"WHAT?!" The General raged. His face turned an unnatural shade of red and his eyes burned with fury, all directed at Ed. "He is my son! How dare you tell me I shouldn't be allowed to go in and see him!"

"Would you shut up and listen for a minute, please? I did not say you shouldn't be allowed to see your son, I just said that it might not be best for you to see him at this time." Ed looked at the General, keeping his face calm in an attempt to placate the military hot-head. "Think about General. Sam was shot while giving the eulogy at your funeral. He thinks you're dead. If he happens to wake up while you are in there visiting him, and he sees you, it's going to completely freak him out and he does not need that kind of stress right now."

"Officer Lane is right William." The General turned his fury to his brother, who met and held his harsh gaze. "I think it would be best to wait until Sam is awake, alert and stable enough to handle all of this before he sees you."

"I can't believe this! Sam is my son and he's in the hospital. I need to see him. I'm GOING to see him."

"William-"Major Braddock started to argue his point again, but the General cut him off.

"NO! I am going to see my son, and if Sam just so happens to wake up while I'm in there then so be it. Sam's tough, he'll be fine."

"General, there's no doubt that Sam is one of the toughest people I know, but even the toughest, most badass soldiers have a weakness, and for Sam, that's his family and the people he loves." Greg gently mentioned, attempting to talk to the General father to father rather than Sargent to General. "I think, no, I know that your 'death' affected him more than you think it did."

"Sam was a wreck dad. He tried to hide it but…" Natalie gave a small smile as she talked about her brother, but the smile did not reach her eyes. "He's not as quiet as he thinks he is when he can't sleep."

The rest of the room smiled at Natalie's comment, but the General's glare remained unchanged. "This is ridiculous. He is my son and I am going to see him."

"No, you are not." Elizabeth Braddock looked at her husband sternly, unshed tears still brimming her eyes. "You will not see Sam until he is stable enough to handle all of this."

The General glared at his wife and sighed, knowing that for the time being, he had been beat. A nurse came into the room and asked everyone to follow her. She lead the down the hall towards the ICU where they met Dr. Knox outside of the double doors. Dr. Knox dismissed the nurse and looked at the group of his patient's loved ones. "We're going to go through these double doors and down the hall to Sam's room. Have you all decided who's going to go in?"

"Yes sir," Major Braddock said as he stepped forward. "It's just going to be us three." He gestured to Elizabeth and Natalie, who had stepped up next to him.

Dr. Knox nodded. "Very well. You three will go in and the rest of you can look in through the window."

Everyone nodded their consent; everyone except the General, who just hung back from the group and sulked. Dr. Knox opened the doors and led the group through the hall until they got to Sam's room. He opened the door and let his family in while his team, Commander Holleran and the General looked in from the window. Seeing Sam for the first time since the shooting was hard on everyone. The current condition of the normally bright, strong and positive sniper brought back everyone's feeling of anxiety. His face was pale, there were deep purple circles under his eyes and he had an oxygen cannula under his nose. There were multiple bags of fluids on his IV pole and his chest tube, though partially hidden by the bed sheets, was still visible. Sam's entire torso was wrapped in stark, white gauze and the leads to his heart monitors could be seen poking out. Sam looked awful and the only comforting thing was the constant, steady beeping of the heart monitor. After a few minutes, Dr. Knox exited Sam's room with the Braddocks following behind him. "I'm sorry your visit couldn't be longer, but we do have rules and procedures to follow."

"Of course, Dr. Knox. We completely understand." Greg said as he stepped away from his team and looked at the doctor. "That being said, we have rules and procedures as well. Since the person or persons responsible for Sam's shooting has yet to be apprehended, we would like to have some sort of protection detail stationed outside of his room until the suspect or suspects have been caught."

"Of course," Dr. Knox replied, understanding the need for security and protection. "We can have an extra security guard brought up here and stationed outside of his room if you'd like."

"Actually, doctor," Commander Holleran began, stepping forward to stand between Greg and Major Braddock. "I have multiple SRU officers lining up to volunteer to watch over Sam. We take things very serious when one of our own is threatened in any way."

"I completely understand, but because of hospital rules we cannot bring any unauthorized personnel onto the floor after hours, so their shift will have to start tomorrow morning. I'll request an additional security guard be stationed up here for the night."

"Thank you, Dr. Knox." Major Braddock replied as he shook the doctor's hand once again.

Dr. Knox nodded and looked at the group. "Visiting hours are over and you all, unfortunately, need to leave the floor. So, if you'll follow me I'll take you all back to the family room and we'll talk about what the next few days will look like recovery wise for Sam."

Everyone nodded and turned to follow Dr. Knox out of the ICU wing. General Braddock was the last to turn away from Sam's room. He started to follow the group, but quickly turned back around and slipped into Sam's room, desperate and determined to see his son. The General stepped up to Sam's bedside and gently took Sam's hand in his. He gave it a light, comforting squeeze then laid it back down on the bed. The General looked at his son for just a minute longer then turned away and headed towards the door. As his hand reached the door knob, the General was surprised by a quiet and unexpected voice on the other side of the room.

"Ge- General?!"

Surprised, the General whirled around to face the drowsy and pained, but very much awake, eyes of his son. Before he could even respond, Sam began hyperventilating and his heart rate began to climb dangerously high. Alarms sounded as Sam began to freak out and soon nurses were rushing into the room, shouting for different medications and for Dr. Knox.

Down the hall, Dr. Knox had just led the others down to the family room and was answering a few questions before addressing the whole group. Wordy looked around the group and noticed they were one person short. "Guys, where's the General?"

Everyone looked around, confused as to where the General could've gone. Their suspicions were unfortunately confirmed when a nurse came on over the intercom paging Dr. Knox to an emergency in room 317. Dr. Knox looked at the group. "That's Sam's room," he said gravely before turning around and running back to the ICU wing.

The whole group rushed after him, but stopped at the double doors. As the doors swung shut behind Dr. Knox, they were able to catch a quick glimpse of several nurses, doctors and a crash cart outside of Sam's room. The fear and anxiety they all felt hours ago was now back full force. A security guard came out and escorted them all back to the family room, promising them that they would be updated as soon as possible. He left the group with their thoughts, all of which were about Sam and what could have happened. Minutes later, a very sheepish looking General Braddock entered the family room. Everyone stood up and anger replaced the worry on their faces. Seeing the guilt in his brother's eyes, Major Braddock stepped forward. "William? What happened? Where were you?"

General Braddock closed his eyes and turned his head away for a moment before looking back at the anxious and angry crowd. "It's Sam. He uh-"

Before the General could finish, a very angry and agitated Dr. Knox rushed into the room and went straight to the General. "What the hell did you do to my patient?!"


	10. Chapter 10

**Here's the next chapter! Sorry it took so long to get up and I apologize if it's kind of slow; I had a lot of tests and work this past week and this kinda got placed on the back burner. Regardless of all of that, here it is! Enjoy!**

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><p>The General looked at Dr. Knox, a stern look replacing the sheepish one on his face. "I did not do anything. I was visiting my son and as I was leaving he woke up and saw me, then he just started freaking out."<p>

Before Dr. Knox could respond, a very angered Ed stepped forward. "You went to see him?! I thought it was agreed on that you wouldn't see him until he was stable enough to handle it?"

"I just wanted to see him. I was only in the room for a few minutes. He just had open-heart surgery for crying out loud! How was I supposed to know he was going to wake up?"

"Regardless of whether or not you knew he would wake up or not you were not supposed to be in there!" Major Braddock stated, glaring at his brother.

Dr. Knox cleared his throat and glared at the General. "I don't know what you all decided, but your little 'visit' sent your son into cardiac arrest."

Everyone gasped, shocked at Dr. Knox's news. Natalie and Mrs. Braddock started crying again, and Jules was not far behind. The men in the room looked ready to hit something, or rather someone. Major Braddock had to clench and unclench his fists a few times before turning to face Dr. Knox. "Is Sam alright?"

"He had to be defibrillated twice, but we got him back." Dr. Knox was interrupted by the relieved sighs of everyone in the room. He gave a small smile and continued on. "He's resting comfortably and hopefully there won't be any more problems." Dr. Knox gave a pointed look at the General then looked back at the rest of the group. "Now, about Sam's recovery. Assuming that this little incident will have no long lasting effects and that Sam will remain stable throughout the night, we have plans of moving him down to the CCU tomorrow afternoon. As far as when he will be released, we'll just have to play that by ear. Now, all of you, go home and get some sleep. It's been a long day for everyone."

With that, Dr. Knox left the room. Those left in the room were exhausted, both physically and emotionally, and it was evident on all of their faces. Major Braddock walked over to where Natalie and Mrs. Braddock were standing. He spoke quietly to them and though their faces showed hesitation and uncertainty, but after a bit of convincing from Major Braddock, the two Braddock women agreed to go home for the night. As they collected their belongings, Major Braddock went over to where Team One and Commander Holleran were gathered. They all turned to look at him as he approached.

"How are they doing?" Greg asked quietly as he gestured towards the two Braddock women.

Major Braddock sighed. "Fairly well, given the circumstances. I finally convinced them to go back to Sam's place and get some sleep. It wasn't easy. Apparently the 'Braddock stubbornness' isn't just something you're born with, it also comes with marriage." The group of SRU officers smile, knowing first hand, just how stubborn Braddocks can be. "I have to check in with my men and see what information they were able to gather and then figure out what I'm going to do about him." Major Braddock nodded his head towards his brother, who was now standing apart from everyone and talking on the phone.

"Is he going to get in a lot of trouble for this little stunt?" Jules asked, her eyes still burning with rage at the General for the pain he caused Sam.

"Oh yeah. The CCA already didn't like him, and the DND is going to have a field day. Depending on their ruling of the situation, his punishment could be demotion, dishonorable discharge or anything in between. He's not getting out of this unscathed. There will be hell to pay, especially since the CCA has kind of a sweet spot for Sam."

Team One smiled and Ed chuckled. "He is quite the charmer."

Major Braddock smiled at the fondness shown for his one and only nephew. "He is, but it's more than that. There was a lot that went on during Sam's time in the military that very few people know about. Sam proved his loyalty, time and time again, not only to his teammates but to his COs and his country as well. Loyalty and honor go a long way with the CCA."

"It goes a long way with us as well, Major." Ed stated.

"Sam is an asset to this team and the SRU. He's one of ours, and we protect our own." Greg added, conviction strong in his voice.

"Team Two has been working this case all day. Troy checked in with me about an hour ago and told me that they were heading back to the barn to start looking things over. I'm planning on stopping by and getting an update on where we are with this whole thing." Commander Holleran announced, looking at his SRU officers. They all nodded slightly and then Commander Holleran looked at Major Braddock. "My guys have been keeping in contact with your guys. A one, Corporal Thomas is acting as a liaison of sorts between the groups. He's at the SRU headquarters right now with Team Two sharing information as we speak. I will be heading that way to check on things as soon as I leave here."

Major Braddock nodded his understanding to Commander Holleran. "I'm going to drop them off at Sam's place for the night and then I think I will join you." Major Braddock paused and looked at the General who was still talking on the phone. "Well, the General and I will join you. He won't be leaving my side until I talk to the CCA and figure out what to do with him."

Commander Holleran nodded with a small smile forming on his face. "I understand." Holleran looked from the Major to his top team of SRU officers. "You all need to go home and get some sleep. You're on protection detail bright and early in the morning."

Greg looked at his team, then back to his commanding officer. "Actually sir, I think we will all join you back at HQ."

The rest of Team One confirmed Greg's statement, all of them nodding their agreement. Commander Holleran sighed, knowing it was no use arguing with them. With a plan in the work, everyone left the family room. After a brief argument, one in which Major Braddock threatened to have him arrested, General Braddock finally agreed to the plan. The Braddocks leave to drop the women off at Sam's while Team One and Commander Holleran head towards the barn. Half an hour later, Team One, Commander Holleran, all of Team Two, Corporal Thomas, Major Braddock and the General are all in the briefing room, gathered around the table looking through all the gathered evidence. After receiving any new information from Corporal Thomas, Major Braddock sent him home and called one of his men back on base. Once the phone call ended, he looked into the concerned, serious faces of several SRU officers and a stoic face of a slightly annoyed army General. "My guys just sent over some new information. It should be in your email now."

Spike opened his laptop and logged into his account. Seconds later, images and case reports filled the big screen in the briefing room. "OK, so the prints recovered from the shell casings found at the scene have been matched to this man, Amir Faris," Spike brought up his passport picture and continued talking. "He and his brother Ali arrived from Kandahar two days ago. We have footage of them leaving the Toronto International Airport and hailing a cab, but no other information on where they went or where they are right now."

Ed sighed and rubbed his head. "So they could be anywhere now. Great, that's just great."

"Actually Ed, I'm fairly certain that they are still here in Toronto. They haven't popped up on any airport surveillance cameras and there has been no activity with their passports."

"My men have put their names, complete with pictures, on the 'No Fly' list in case they try to leave." Major Braddock announced, trying to add some positivity to the room.

Greg nodded to the General. "Spike, send out their names and photos to all surrounding hotels, hospitals, and major businesses. Make sure they know that they should contact us immediately if they see or know anything about the whereabouts of these men. Be sure to add that they should not engage with these guys."

Spike immediately began typing. "Right, Sarge."

Once the email was finished and sent to all possible locations, Commander Holleran sent everyone, minus Team Two who were still on shift, home for the night, promising to keep them all updated if anything were to happen. Major Braddock extended the same promise, then left with a still disgruntled General Braddock in tow.

Less than an hour later, Team One got the call they had all been waiting for. Amir and Ali were found at a local hotel and were being brought in for questioning and charged with attempted murder of a police officer. Everyone went to sleep that night with an enormous weight lifted off of their shoulders and were ready for whatever the next few days would throw at them.

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><p><strong>*CCA stands for Commander of the Canadian Army and DND is Department of National Defense.*<strong>


	11. Chapter 11

**Here's the next chapter y'all! Enjoy!**

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><p>Six hours. That's how long it had been since Sam was transferred from the ICU to the CCU. Major Braddock had taken the General back to the base for a meeting with the CCA and Natalie and Mrs. Braddock had both returned to Sam's place to rest and deal with family members wanting updates on Sam. The members of Team One took turns standing guard outside of Sam's room while the others waited for him to wake up inside. When Dr. Knox arrived to check on Sam, Ed, who was standing guard with Wordy outside, opened the door to Sam's room and followed him inside, Wordy right on their tails. Inside the room, Greg, Jules and Spike were spread around the room, all keeping a watchful eye on their sleeping teammate. They all perked up a bit when Dr. Knox entered the room and began to check on Sam.<p>

"So, Dr. Knox, how's our boy?" Greg asked as Dr. Knox finished his examination and wrote the updates on Sam's chart.

Dr. Knox smiled and looked at the anxious team of SRU officers. "He looks good. His levels are back to normal and there has not been one problem since the…_issue _last night. I'm going to leave the chest tube in for at least another day or so but—" Dr. Knox shook his head in disbelief and looked at Sam then back to his team, a smile on his face. "If I wasn't the one who operated on him and saw first-hand just how severe his injuries were, there's no way I would believe that he was shot yesterday."

Spike laughed. "Well, we do call him Samtastic for a reason doc!"

Dr. Knox smiled. "I believe it."

Jules looked from Sam to Dr. Knox. "Any idea when he'll wake up?"

"We've been slowly weaning him off the sedation since moving him out of the ICU. Best guess? I would say sometime today. It could be anywhere between the next few hours and sometime tonight. Whenever it does happen however, be sure to keep him as calm as possible and either notify me or a nurse. Got it?"

Team One nodded and Dr. Knox left the room. Everyone sighed in relief at a good report from Dr. Knox and Jules texted Natalie and told her about the update. Jules looked up from her phone to the rest of her team. "Do you guys really think Sam is going to wake up today?"

Wordy smiled and put a comforting hand on Jules's back. "Oh absolutely. In fact, he'll probably be awake sooner rather than later just to keep proving the doctors wrong."

Greg smiled and clapped Wordy on the back. "Very true, and Sam does have a knack for surprising us. He just loves to keep us on our toes."

"Well someone has too." A rough, groggy voice came from the bed. Shocked by the unexpected yet totally welcomed voice, Team One turned around to see the bright blue eyes of their teammate staring back at them.

"Oh my god, Sam!" Jules screeched as she rushed over to Sam's side. The rest of the team followed closely behind her, surrounding Sam on all sides. Greg pressed the call button for the nurse. Jules squeezed Sam's hand. "Sam?"

"Hey," Sam muttered sleepily as he slowly looked around at his teammates. All of their faces showed immense relief and elation.

"Hey yourself," Ed said with a smile and a small chuckle. "How'ya feelin' buddy?"

Sam closed his eyes and tried to take a deep breath. A sharp, burning pain radiated throughout his chest and he grimaced then answered Ed's question with a moan. "Ouch."

A small smile and concerned eyes appeared on Ed's face. "That good, huh?"

Before Sam could answer, Dr. Knox and a nurse came into the room. He ushered Team One out of the room and began to give Sam a full checkup. Outside in the hall, Team One waited on an update and Jules texted Nat and told her that Sam was awake. A few minutes later, Dr. Knox and his nurse come out of Sam's room, both looking pleased. The nurse walked away but Dr. Knox went over to Team One. "He looks good. He says he's not in a _lot _of pain but I'm pretty sure he was lying so I went ahead and hooked him up to a morphine pump if the pain gets too bad. Please make sure he uses I t if he needs it. You can go back in and see him, but remember to keep him as calm as you can. The nurse has a sedative. If Sam gets too worked up, press the call button and she'll come and administer it."

Everyone nodded and Greg stepped forward and shook Dr. Knox's hand. "Thank you, doctor."

Dr. Knox smiled and turned to leave. Team One returned to Sam's room where he was no longer lying flat in bed, but slightly elevated to aid with his breathing. His team surrounded him again and Jules took his hand. "Better?"

Sam nodded once, but he had a look of confusion on his face that did not go unnoticed by his team. Wordy put a hand on Sam's shoulder to get his attention. "Sam, you okay? What are you thinking about?"

"What happened? Why am I here?"

Wordy looked around at his team, his eyes landing on Greg and Ed. Greg gave a small nod and looked back at Sam. "What do you remember Sam?"

"Um… I was speaking at the General's funeral and then…nothing. What happened?"

"You were shot. Twice." Spike said gently, carefully eyeing his best friend. Sam's brow furrowed at the news and Jules squeezed his hand. Sam still looked confused and the others were just going to keep quiet and let him process everything, but when he started shaking his head, they grew concerned.

"Sam?" Ed asked cautiously. He gently squeezed Sam's shoulder, trying to get him to focus on what he was trying to say. "Sam, buddy, it's OK. I know everything is really confusing right now but it's going to be OK…"

"No, no, no, there's something else!" Sam exclaimed, agitated and confused. "I _saw _the General. Here, in the hospital. Last night, he was in my room. What the hell is going on?! He's supposed to be dead!"

Sam was breathing hard and starting to shake. Team One looked at each other, fear in their eyes. Ed put his hands on Sam's shoulders and leaned over him until he was right in front of his face. "Sam, Sam look at me. You have to calm down, OK? Calm down."

Jules squeezed his hand and rubbed his arm soothingly. "We'll answer all of your questions as best as we can, but you need to calm down first. Slow your breathing down."

Sam nodded and tried to slow his breathing down. His team watched with anxious eyes. After a couple of minutes, Sam's breathing had returned to normal and his body was much more relaxed. He looked around to his teammates. "OK, I'm as calm as I'm going to get. Tell me what's going on."

"OK Sam, we'll tell you, but you have to stay calm. The nurse has drugs to sedate you with and I won't hesitate to call her in here to use them." Ed told Sam seriously, crossing his arms and looking down at him.

"I'll try my hardest, but no promises."

Ed sighed, annoyed by the stubborn honesty coming from his young teammate. "After you were shot, you were taken to the hospital. Your mom, sister and uncle followed behind the ambulance and we followed behind them."

"There were so many people in the waiting room for you that they moved us into a private family room to wait," Spike threw in with a smile. "You're so popular Samtastic."

Everyone smiled and rolled their eyes. Ed continued the story. "We had been waiting for an update on your condition for hours when the General just walked into the room, demanding updates on how you were."

"After the initial shock wore off, we questioned him and he told us everything." Wordy added, giving his teammate a concerned, fatherly glance.

"He told us that while he was in Kandahar, he started receiving threats. His team started investigating and found out they were being sent from a group of insurgents. When the threats got more serious, he decided he had to do something." Greg said, trying to stifle the anger he still felt towards the General.

"So, what, he faked his own death?" Sam asked, shocked.

Jules nodded and squeezed his hand. "Yeah. He did."

Sam scoffed. "That's messed up, even for him."

Team One smiled slightly. Spike chuckled and looked at Sam, a full-blown grin on his face. "You should have heard what Natalie had to say. The General is not her favorite person right now."

"He's not mine either." Sam mumbled as his eyes clouded with fury.

His teammates looked at each other, concerned. Before Sam could say anything else, the door to his room opened and his mom, sister and uncle walked in. They joined Team One, surrounding the bed, and showered Sam with gentle hugs and loving greetings. Sam looked at his uncle, eyes dark with anger. "Where is he?"

Major Braddock looked at his nephew, eyes sad. "He's back on base, waiting for the CCA to arrive. I've got people watching him, under strict orders to never let him out of their sights and to ignore every order he tries to give them."

"Good." Sam's reply was almost growled. The room was silent as they all waited for Sam to collect himself again. Once Sam was somewhat calm, he looked at his team and family surrounding him. "So who did it? Who shot me?"

"His name is Amir Faris. He and his brother Ali are part of the insurgent group responsible for the threats against your father. They were arrested last night."

"How did they know the General was still alive?"

"We're not sure." Major Braddock said, sighing. "More than likely, there was a leak within the group of military personnel your father had that not only told the insurgents that he was alive, but also gave them information on his whereabouts and his funeral. The CCA wants us to wait to question them until he arrives." Major Braddock saw the growing look of confusion , disbelief and anger on Sam's face and he automatically knew what his nephew was thinking. "Sam, relax. I promise you that Amir, Ali, whomever the leak is AND your dad will get what they deserve; the CCA and I will guarantee that." Sam seemed to visually relax and everyone smiled. Major Braddock gave a short laugh and looked at Sam. "You need to relax more, kid. You're going to go prematurely gray."

Sam frowned and his friends and family all laughed at his expense. They continued to fill him in on his injuries and all issues involving his father. After a while, the only emotion on Sam's face was pain. He tried to hide it as best as he could, but his team and his family easily saw through his façade. Against Sam's wishes, Jules pushed the button on his morphine pump and sent the stubborn sniper into a pain free slumber.

...

Hours later, Major Braddock sat inside of an interrogation room, staring down Amir Faris, the man responsible for threatening his brother and putting his only nephew in the hospital. In another room nearby, Major Burns dealt with Ali. CCA Lieutenant-General Marquis Hainse observed and listened to the interrogations, writing down any pertinent information. It wasn't until the very end of Amir's interview that Major Braddock was able to get the information he wanted; the name of the leak, the one who gave them the information to carry out their deadly plan. It was Lieutenant Roberts.


	12. Chapter 12

**Here's the next chapter! We're nearing the end!**

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><p><em>1 week later...<em>

"Are you sure you're ready to get out of here?" Jules asked concerned.

She watched as Sam grimaced putting his T-shirt on. Sam winced as he pulled the shirt over his head, the movement aggravating the still healing incisions on his chest. When his shirt was on, he looked at Jules with an exasperated look. "Jules, I'm fine. You really have to stop asking me that."

Before Jules could reply, Ed and the rest of Team One walked into Sam's hospital room. "Maybe if you said it with a little bit for conviction Samo." Ed laughed as Sam rolled his eyes. "Are you _sure _you want to leave? You do kind of look like crap, Sam. "

Sam sighed and glared at his teammates, all laughing at Ed's comment. "Thanks guys, really feeling the love right now. Yes, guys, I'm fine! I've been in here for a week. I'm _more _than ready to get out of here. You know how much I hate hospitals."

Greg walked over to Sam and put a hand on his shoulder. "Yeah, we know buddy, but we also know that anytime anyone on this team says that they are fine, they're usually lying."

Greg sends a loving glare to his stubborn team, causing them all to smile. Sam gave a short chuckle, shook his head and looked at his boss. "Yeah, well I mean it this time. I just want to be able to sleep without a nurse or doctor coming in and stabbing me with a needle every 2 hours. I'm a human being, not a pin cushion."

Spike laughed and sat down on the edge of the bed. "So when do you get to leave?"

"They're pulling up my discharge papers as we speak. Dr. Knox has to come in and sign off on everything and the cardiologist wants to check everything out one last time so it shouldn't be too much longer."

"Are your mom and sister still at your place?" Wordy asked, taking a seat next to Jules.

"Uh, no actually, they're back on base."

Ed looked at Sam, surprised. "Oh! Is the General's hearing today?"

Sam sighed and sank down on the bed next to Spike. "No, that's sometime later this week. Tomorrow's the trial for Lieutenant Roberts so they're all down there with my dad and my uncle."

"What are the charges again?" Ed asked, sending Sam a sympathetic glance.

"Treason."

"That's it? Just treason?!" Spike questioned, looking at Sam with an exasperated face.

"Treason is a pretty heavy offense in the military, it's not like he's going to be getting off with just a stern lecture and a slap on the wrist. Besides, it's technically all he's guilty of. Amir and Ali got the information from him, but they acted completely on their own."

"SAM!" Jules glared at him, shocked. "You were SHOT, because he told them where you would be! He may not have pulled the trigger, but he is just as responsible as they are."

"You can think that, and you wouldn't be alone, but that's not how I feel and I made sure that was known in my statement."

Anger and confusion flashed on the faces of all of Team One. Jules crossed her arms and stared Sam down. "Seriously, Sam? Are you trying to get him off the hook?!"

"Jules!" Sam stared at her, arms gripping the edge of the bed. "They have him nailed six ways to Sunday for treason. OK? His military career is over and he'll be lucky if he doesn't spend the rest of his life in prison. He's going to get what he deserves. Amir and Ali have been taken care of. The CCA and DND are going to deal with my dad and I'm going to be good as new, OK?" Sam looked around at his team and saw the concerned look still on their faces. "Look guys, I know it's not an ideal fix, but this is the best that they can do."

Before anyone could respond, Dr. Knox came into the room, followed by Dr. Reed, Sam's cardiologist. Team One cleared out of the room and waited in the hall. Fifteen minutes later, both Dr. Knox and Dr. Reed walked out of the room. Team One looked at the expectantly. Dr. Knox smiled at them. "Everything looks great. He's got all the information he needs to know and a list of appointments to follow up on. He's good to go."

Smiles broke out on everyone's face. Dr. Knox and Dr. Reed turned to walk away, but before he could get too far, Dr. Knox turned back around and looked at the team of SRU officers that he had become very well acquainted with over the past week. "Please don't break him. That's some of my finest handiwork and I don't want to see it get messed up."

Team One smiled and walked back into Sam's room. Ten minutes later Sam was officially discharged from the hospital and was being unwillingly wheeled out in a wheelchair. As they all loaded up into the familiar black SUVs and drove away from the hospital, Sam felt a mixture of emotions. The excitement and joy of leaving the hospital and going home mixed with the uncertainty of what's to come concerning the General and the trial, but most importantly, there was a feeling of comfort and Sam knew that whatever happened his team, _his family, _would be there for him.


	13. Chapter 13

**Ugh! I meant to get this up Tuesday night, but in my delirious state I accidentally deleted it. Dang it! That'll teach me to go almost 48 hours with no sleep. Regardless of that, here it is! The final chapter! **

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><p><em>Five weeks later...<em>

The past few weeks had been an emotional roller coaster for Team One and the Braddock family. Sam was released from the hospital after being shot in the chest, the men responsible for putting him in there, Amir and Ali, were charged with attempted murder and sentenced to life in prison. Lieutenant Roberts was charged with treason, stripped of his rank, dishonorably discharged and sentenced to life in prison with no chance of parole, a much lesser charge thanks to the statement Sam gave. Major Braddock was promoted to Colonel while General Braddock was stripped of his officer title and put on desk duty until retirement. Team One, after returning to full duty once Sam was stable and on the road to recovery, struggled with temporary team members while waiting for their favorite blonde sniper to be cleared for active duty.

Exactly one month after being released from the hospital, Sam was cleared for light but active duty and was back in his cool pants, much to the shock and surprise of his teammates. Returning from a hot call, Team One entered the Barn laughing hysterically at Sam as he told them a story from his days in basics. As they reached Winnie's desk, they noticed the slightly concerned and anxious look on her face. They were immediately on alert, the smiles dropping off their faces. Sarge stepped forward, closer to Winnie, and put his hands on the desk. "Winnie, what's going on?"

Winnie looked around at everyone, before her eyes landed on Sam. "Um Sam, your father's here to see you."

Shocked, Sam immediately started looking around, trying to find him. "My father's here?"

"When's the last time you spoke to him, Sam?" Greg asked, turning his attention to the young sniper.

"I haven't seen or spoken to him since that night in the hospital..." Sam said. He absentmindedly rubbed his the newly healed scar on his chest, an action that did not go unnoticed by his team. Before they could comment on it, Sam turned to Winnie. "Where is he?"

"He's in the briefing room."

Sam nodded his thanks and headed towards the briefing room where his father was sitting at one of the chairs. When Sam entered the room and shut the door, his father looked up at him. "Sir."

"Samuel." The former General acknowledged, gesturing for Sam to sit down. Sam sat down in the chair next to his father and waited for him to start talking. Braddock Sr took a deep breath and looked at his son, sadness and concern in his eyes. "How are you son?"

"I'm okay, sir; healing nicely and back on duty." Sam gave his dad a quick, small smile, then his face turned serious again. "How are you sir? Uncle Steven told me that the CCA and the DND were ruthless."

The former General gave a huge sigh and looked down at his hands. "Yes, they were." He sighed again. "This isn't how I planned on ending my military career, but I can't say I don't deserve it." He got up and began to pace around the room. Team One, watching from Winnie's desk, all shot Sam a concerned glance. Sam nodded towards them, telling them that it was OK, then continued watching his dad. Braddock Sr stopped pacing and looked at his son. "I'm so sorry Sammy."

Sam looked at his father, shocked. "Dad, I'm OK."

"No, you're not. I never wanted you or your mom or your sister to get caught up in this but, God Sammy, you were shot! Twice!"

Sam watched, concerned, as his father began pacing again. He had never seen his father like this and it made him worry. "Dad, listen to me." Sam waited until his father had stopped pacing and turned his attention to him. "Yes, I was shot. Did it suck? Yeah. Did it hurt? Hell yeah, but I'm OK. I mean, look at me."

Braddock Sr looked at his son and the kid was right. Despite being shot by a sniper and left to survive devastating, life threatening injuries just weeks ago, Sam looked to be in perfect health, a fact that surprised his team, his family and all the doctors at St. Simon's. He had lost some weight during his time in the hospital and his uniform fit a little big and the scars on his chest still looked fresh and new but aside from that Sam's blue eyes had that typical "Sam Braddock" brightness to them and that was as sure of a sign as any that Sam was going to be okay. A small smile came across Sam's face. "See? I'm perfectly fine."

The former General gave his son a small smile, but it didn't reach his eyes. He began to pace around the room again and Sam sighed. "I don't blame you, you know."

Braddock Sr stopped dead in his tracks and looked at his son, shocked. "What?"

"I don't blame you for what happened. You did what you thought was best for our family and I get that. Yeah, I wish some things had turned out differently but everything's fine now."

The former General starred at his son, feeling immense pride at the man he had become. He walked over to Sam and cupped one of his cheeks with his hand, unshed tears shinning in his eyes. "I know I haven't said this nearly enough, but I am so proud of you. I know I'm stubborn and I haven't been very accepting of the SRU but I know that you're making a difference here."

Sam starred back at his father, his own eyes rimming with tears as well. "Thank you, sir."

Braddock Sr smiled and took his hand off of Sam's cheek. "I need to get going but I'll see you soon OK?" Sam nodded his agreement. "I love you Sam."

"I love you too dad."

Sam and his father shake hands, then Braddock Sr leaves the briefing room. As he's walking past Winnie's desk he nods at the waiting members of Team One and continues out of the SRU. The members of Team One shared a curious glance with each other before turning their attention back towards the direction of the briefing room. Sam was walking over to them, hands stuffed in the pockets of his cool pants. As Sam reached them, Ed walked over to him and put a hand on his shoulder. "How'd it go?"

Sam gave a small smile. "It was good. Our relationship has never been perfect and we've got a lot of stuff to work through as a family, but I think we're all going to be OK."

Team One smiled back at the sniper. Sam was right, the Braddock family had a lot of stuff to work through, but if they learned anything from the past few weeks it was that with family, anything is possible.

* * *

><p><strong>The end!<strong>

**I've loved writing this and I thank you all for making my first fanfic experience something to remember! Thanks to all of you who have followed and favorited this story from the very beginning and thank you for all the support. I hope you guys have enjoyed this as much as I have!**


	14. Chapter 14

**HEY!**

**So it's going to be a while before I get my next Flashpoint story up because 1) it's midterm time and 2) I'm currently working on an NCIS:LA one BUT I wanted to know if you guys had any specific ideas for a fanfic you wanted to see? I have some ideas for a few but if you guys have any ideas or prompts or anything you want to see, either leave them in the comments or PM me and I'll see what I can do!**

**Thanks again for all the love!**

**See y'all soon!**


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